Natalie d’Arbeloff> In this case, stealing means posting on their site something that you have created, without mentioning that you are the author and without giving a link to your post. This is theft, especially when a copyright notice is shown at the site they’re ripping off. As my loyal readers know, I’m only too happy when I see something of mine on your blogs and so far, due credits and links have always been included. But checking my recent stats I discovered two people who, apparently, find such simple courtesy and honesty beyond their grasp.
One blog is in Italian: Vampyronika (I’m deliberately not linking). The header shows a bare butt and, as she hasn’t replied to my letter, I must assume this is her usual response to anyone she steals from. If you try and leave a comment at her site you get a message saying you don’t have permission. The cartoon she took from me was the one I posted in Sept.2003 after visiting Highgate Cemetery. She’s used it alongside an old joke about Karl Marx (13 April 2004).

The other offender’s blog is in Portuguese, apart from its title which is Black Dock. His name is Miguel and he put my “Rational” cartoon (also posted by me in Sept.2003) at the head of his very long post about the stupidity of human beings (March 28 2004).

All I ask of both these people is to include proper credits but neither of them have replied to my e-mail. Some people have the view that stealing a writer or an artist’s work is not like ‘normal’ theft because such work is not real work – like plumbing, for instance. They would never go to a plumber and say “I’m not going to pay you for installing my boiler and I’m going to tell everyone I did it because your work belongs to the world and you should be happy that I allowed you to work in my house”. Yeah right. Well I’m a plumber, a drawing/thinking plumber, and I’m not charging admission to this blog. But if you use me you’d better not abuse me. And telling others what a good service I provide is the least you can do. Capisce Vampyronika? Voce comprende Black Dock?

Natalie d’Arbeloff’s cartoon alter ego is responsible for the excellent journal BLAUGUSTINE. This article and images reprinted with her full permission.